Authentication of Satellite Navigation System Receiver

1. A method comprising: receiving, by an assistance server from an entity claiming to be a satellite navigation system receiver, a request for positioning assistance data, the request including (i) a verification code comprising (a) a device-side message authentication code generated for a given time instance or (b) a device-side secondary code derived based on the device-side message authentication code, and (ii) an indication of the given time instance, wherein message authentication codes are defined to authenticate navigation data for Galileo; based at least on the indication of the given time instance included in the request, generating, at the assistance server, a server-side message authentication code for the given time instance; making a determination, at the assistance server, (i) that the device-side message authentication code for the given time instance matches the generated server-side message authentication code for the given time instance or (ii) that the device-side secondary code matches a server-side secondary code derived based on the generated server-side message authentication code; and in response to making the determination, validating the request by providing positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a hash function is applied at least to: the device-side message authentication code to derive the device-side secondary code; and the server-side message authentication code to derive the server-side secondary code.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver generates the device-side message authentication code for a future time instance based on a seed key, the future time instance being the given time instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in one or more of a handshaking message for positioning assistance service communication or a message designed for communications between a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver and a device offering a location based service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in a peer-to-peer message for communications between a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver and a device offering a location based service.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in an internal message in a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device-side message authentication code is generated from a seed key; and wherein the seed key is embedded in the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver or in a trusted source.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assistance server generates the server-side message authentication code (i) based on a list of future message authentication codes from a trusted source or (ii) for a future time instance based on a seed key, the future time instance being the given time instance.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver comprises: providing a service to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the positioning assistance data further comprises a subscription ID corresponds to the entity claiming to be a satellite navigation system receiver.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver comprises: providing predicted positioning assistance data and associated future message authentication codes to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: designating location information of the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver as authentic.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver comprises: transmitting information on location to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.

14. An assistance server comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory includes computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the assistance server at least to: receive from an entity claiming to be a satellite navigation system receiver, a request for positioning assistance data, the request including (i) a verification code comprising (a) a device-side message authentication code generated for a given time instance or (b) a device-side secondary code derived based on the device-side message authentication code, and (ii) an indication of the given time instance, wherein message authentication codes are defined to authenticate navigation data for Galileo; based at least on the indication of the given time instance included in the request, generate, at the assistance server, a server-side message authentication code for the given time instance; make a determination, at the assistance server, (i) that the device-side message authentication code for the given time instance matches the generated server-side message authentication code for the given time instance or (ii) that the device-side secondary code matches a server-side secondary code derived based on the generated server-side message authentication code; and in response to making the determination, validate the request by providing positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.

15. The assistance server of claim 14 , further configured to extract the verification code from the request for positioning assistance data.

16. The assistance server of claim 14 , wherein the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system received generates the device-side message authentication code for a future time instance based on a seed key, the future time instance being the given time instance.

17. The assistance server of claim 14 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in one or more of a handshaking message for positioning assistance service communication or a message designed for communications between a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver and a device offering a location based service.

18. The assistance server of claim 14 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in a peer-to-peer message for communications between a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver and a device offering a location based service.

19. The assistance server of claim 14 , wherein the request for positioning assistance data is included in an internal message in a mobile device comprising the satellite navigation system receiver.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which computer program code is stored, the computer program code causing at least one device to perform the following when executed by at least one processor: receive, by an assistance server from an entity claiming to be a satellite navigation system receiver, a request for positioning assistance data, the request including (i) a verification code comprising (a) a device-side message authentication code generated for a given time instance or (b) a device-side secondary code derived based on the device-side message authentication code, and (ii) an indication of the given time instance, wherein message authentication codes are defined to authenticate navigation data for Galileo; based at least on the indication of the given time instance included in the request, generate, at the assistance server, a server-side message authentication code for the given time instance; make a determination, at the assistance server, (i) that the device-side message authentication code for the given time instance matches, the generated server-side message authentication code for the given time instance or (ii) that the device-side secondary code matches a server-side secondary code derived based on the generated server-side message authentication code; and in response to making the determination, validate the request by providing positioning assistance data to the entity claiming to be the satellite navigation system receiver.